what is the importance of the enlightenment to the emergence of Britain as the first industrial nation?

Answer 1

Fabulous question. One aspect of this is the general, cultural influence of Newtonian science on the reception of new technologies of the first Industrial Revolution. This is the argument made by historian Margaret Jacob. We could also point to the relatively flexible political system in Britain which enabled it successfully to accomodate the social strains engendered by industrialization and move to a new political economy in the 19th century. Finally we must not neglect the important of the Scottish Enlightenment and people such as Adam Smith, James Watt and Joseph Black.

Answer 2

The enlightenment meant that through the application of science, people such as Newton were able to show that there was a reason for certain things happening, and therefore it wasn't an act of God. For example if something fell to the ground it wasn't because God willed it, it was because of the forces of gravity.
The separation of religion from everyday events allowed a greater experimentation, allowing that separation to become wider, therefore minds were not as restricted by religious doctrine as they were before the enlightenment.